Only two in 10 office workers in the UK can name the board members of their company, while 87% of workers are unable to state the exact number of people on the board according to latest research from Office Angels. The research was conducted among 1,000 office workers in order to gauge the levels of ‘employee’ versus ‘director-level’ interaction within companies and to make recommendations on enhancing communication.

The survey results reveal:

– Two-thirds (67%) of office workers say they’ve not been recognised by a senior staff member outside their office

– 24% of employees have been addressed with the wrong name by a senior staff member

– Nearly two-thirds (65%) of employees have never had a conversation with a board director

– For companies with over 1,000 people, bosses admit to recognising only less than 10% of the total workforce

This minimal level of senior interaction is attributed to physical barriers such as poor office planning; lack of an ‘open door’ policy; senior members failing to circulate around the office; frequent office absences and heavy workloads.

Office Angels top tips for reducing the communications gap between employees and senior management:

– Be visible – don’t stay couped up in your office from 9 to 5, take time to visit people personally rather than always resorting to email or the phone

– Ask for people’s opinions – encourage staff to voice their thoughts and feelings on certain aspects of the company i.e. the office environment and how it can be improved, company policies, social events etc

– Tone down the power props – if you’re seen to have excessively expensive office furniture it could cause a rift between you and your staff

– Give credit where credit’s due – make a point of rewarding staff for work achievements, whether simply verbally or financially

– Make a note of staff’s personal details – remember their spouse’s/partner’s or children’s names and any particular hobbies they might have